March 15
Southern Raceway,
Milton, FL
Sanction: Southern All Star Series (Bash at the Beach ) - $3,000
Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated March 18, 10:34 am)
Baggett bags $3,000 SAS season opener
Bash at the Beach
- Neil Baggett
- Mark Whitener
- Jay Scott
- Riley Hickman
- Joseph Joiner
- J.R. Moseley
- Zach Leonhardi
- J.C. Wilson
- Mark Dodson
- Russell Flynn
- Andrew Littleton
- Ryan Crane
- David Breazeale
- Larry Harrod
- Austin Arnold
- Cody Smith
- Billy Franklin
- Blake Martin
- Dustin Mincey
- Casey Roberts
- Taylor Jarvis
Phil Frye
Friday's main event winner Neil Baggett tunes up at Southern Raceway.
What won the race: Polesitter Neil Baggett of Columbus, Miss., led all but six circuits of Friday’s 30-lap Southern All Star Series season opener at Southern Raceway. Baggett regained the lead when David Breazeale pulled into the pits on lap 20 and led the rest of the way, earning $3,000 for his first career series victory in the first night of the third annual Blast at the Beach.
Quotable: "I fell asleep on that (lap-14) restart (and allowed Breazeale to grab the lead). I slowed down in lapped traffic and that was my fault,” Baggett said. “I feel like I got a rhythm back, we were running him back down a little bit, then they had that other caution and something must've happened to him. I knew after that restart I wasn't going to let it happen again."
Key notes: Making his debut in the Wynn Motorsports ride, Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., was running third early in the race when he caught the track's inside berm and twirled his machine out of contention. His car didn't sustain damage but he pulled in to save his equipment for Saturday's $7,000-to-win, 60-lap finale. … The third annual Bash at the Beach marked just the third time the series has opened a season in Florida and first since Jack Boggs of Grayson, Ky., won the tour’s 1987 season opener at Volusia County Speedway in Barberville. … Before Baggett, previous series winners in Milton were Larry Lambeth (1990), Casey Roberts (twice in ’17) and G.R. Smith (’18). … The tour’s original opener at Cherokee Speedway on March 3 was rained out and rescheduled for March 24. … The Southern All Stars return to Southern Raceway on Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
On the move: Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., charged from 10th to second.
Winner's sponsors: Baggett’s Prate Montgomery-owned Rocket Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens engine and sponsored by Montgomery Farms, Jamie’s Body Shop, Flora Logging, RTC Recovery, Bo’s Satellite Service and Advanced Logistics.
Points chase: Baggett grabbed the series points lead.
Car count: 21
Fast qualifier: Larry Harrod
Time: 15.181 seconds
Polesitter: Neil Baggett
Next series race: March 24, Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, SC) $12,000
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.